The elders of the Pure Conduct Society were divided into two types: civil elders and martial elders.
Tang Peigong was a civil elder. Wu Decheng was a martial elder.
The key difference between them was that Wu Decheng, the martial elder, was a cultivator. He was a level-six ntalism Cultivator, a top-tier expert in Blackstone Slope.
Li Banfeng had Ma Wu conduct a thorough investigation of the Pure Conduct Society, so he knew there was soone called Wu Decheng in Blackstone Slope and had made full preparations against him. However, he had not expected Wu Decheng to stay away from the movie theater entrance.
There were so hidden circumstances behind this that Li Banfeng did not know of.
At the beginning of the year, Tang Peigong and Wu Decheng had a dispute. Tang Peigong had scolded Wu Decheng in public. Unable to bear the humiliation, Wu Decheng had withdrawn to his estate outside the city to recuperate for a period of ti.
They were both elders of the Pure Conduct Society, and Wu Decheng was a cultivator, so why did Tang Peigong have the right to reprimand him?
This was a unique convention of the Pure Conduct Society.
There were differences in rank among the elders, and their status was not determined by cultivation level but by virtue and talent.
Tang Peigong was not a cultivator and possessed no special abilities. Nevertheless, he was both virtuous and talented, placing him above Wu Decheng in rank. It was only proper for him to reprimand Wu Decheng.
He had not expected that smashing a movie theater would end with him getting doused in filth. Left with no choice, Tang Peigong could only ask Wu Decheng to step in and deal with the Night-Blooming Jasmine newspaper office.
However, with so many newspapers and magazines publishing the sa piece of news, why was Tang Peigong certain that Night-Blooming Jasmine was behind it? It was because that was the only newspaper that had published the news about the movie screening.
Following this lead, Tang Peigong uncovered a mysterious figure, Boss Ye.
"It is this man with the surna Ye who bought the Triple Blessings Cinema, screened those indecent films, and spread slander about in the newspapers. We were ambushed in front of the cinema. He was clearly the mastermind of it all."
Wu Decheng did not try to argue with him regarding his actions. He simply asked for the full details of the incident, then he went alone to the Night-Blooming Jasmine's newspaper office.
When he arrived at the entrance, Wu Decheng first had a worker go inside to announce his arrival. "Wu Decheng of the Pure Conduct Society has co to see Boss Ye."
Ma Wu said, "The martial elder is here."
Li Banfeng asked, "How many people did he bring?"
The worker replied, "Just one."
Li Banfeng nodded. "In the jianghu, fairness matters. Since he ca alone, I'll et him alone. All of you lie in ambush. Once I make a move, you rush in together. We can't let him say we outnumbered him."
Zuo Wugang frowned. "We're all going in together, yet you still won't let him say we're bullying him by outnumbering him?"
"I ant don't let him speak, not that we won't bully him!"
Ma Wu had a factory room specially cleaned out, and Li Banfeng sat down inside with Wu Decheng for a face-to-face talk.
Wu Decheng spoke first. "Boss Ye, I hear you've just arrived in Blackstone Slope?"
Li Banfeng nodded. "I've just started my business here. I haven't had the chance to pay my respects to you yet, Elder Wu."
Wu Decheng smiled. "You don't look like soone in this line of business."
Li Banfeng froze. "What makes you say that?"
Wu Decheng felt a dryness in his throat. He picked up the teacup, sniffed it, then set it back down. Looking at Li Banfeng, he said, "This tea is poisoned."
Li Banfeng explained, "Just added the poison. Didn't stir it evenly."
Wu Decheng let out a sigh. "I ca here with sincerity."
"Apologies, apologies. This was my mistake. I'll have a fresh cup of tea brought for you at once, Elder Wu."
Before long, a clerk brought over another cup of tea.
Wu Decheng said to Li Banfeng, "Boss Ye, I ca here today to discuss two matters with you, and they can only be discussed with you alone."
Li Banfeng spoke openly. "I'm the only one here."
Wu Decheng let out a soft sigh. "I am a ntalism Cultivator."
Literary Cultivators, Moralism Cultivators, and ntalism Cultivators belonged to closely related Daoist paths. However, one key difference between them was that ntalism Cultivators had exceptional perception.
Wu Decheng could clearly pick up on the intentions of those around him. "Boss Ye, I truly ca in good faith. I have no intention of harming you."
Li Banfeng raised his voice to speak to his n, "Did you hear that? Elder Wu ca in good faith. All of you, get farther away, far enough that you can't hear us!"
Faint sounds of movent echoed around the factory. Zuo Wugang, who had been outside the wall, walked away. Qin, who had been perched on the beam, walked away. Even the Street-Cursing Crone, who had been pretending to sweep, walked away.
Sensing that everyone else had moved far enough away, Wu Decheng lowered his voice and said to Li Banfeng, "Let's start with the first matter. Can you stop screening The Legendary Bloodspear Detective, and can you stop publishing Night-Blooming Jasmine?"
Li Banfeng shook his head. "The movie will be screened, and the newspaper will be published. There's no room for negotiation."
This was within Wu Decheng's expectations.
"Then let's discuss the second matter. Let's fight three matches."
Li Banfeng asked in surprise, "What do you an by three matches?"
"We'll fight on a stage in public, best two out of three. We'll fight three tis. I'll take the win for the first match, you'll take the second, and we'll draw the third. I'll gain enough face within the Pure Conduct Society, and you'll gain real benefits in Blackstone Slope. What do you think?"
Li Banfeng considered it for a mont and said, "We can work with that, but I'll take the win for the first match."
Wu Decheng frowned. "This is a gentleman's agreent. Why fuss over this?"
"If you don't care, then let have the first match."
"I volunteered to fight for the Pure Conduct Society. If I don't win the opening match, I won't be able to explain myself to others."
"I'm riding a good montum right now. If I suddenly lose badly, it will crush morale!"
Wu Decheng's expression darkened. After a long silence, he replied, "Fine. As you wish. You'll take the win for the first match."
Li Banfeng nodded. "Shall we sign a contract?"
Wu Decheng waved his hands repeatedly. "No contract."
Li Banfeng knew Wu Decheng would not agree to sign one. The fact that this was a fixed match had to remain a secret.
Li Banfeng raised his cup of tea. "Then let's use tea in place of wine. It's settled."
Wu Decheng raised his cup as well. "A gentleman's pact, sealed with tea. We drink it in one go."
Li Banfeng drained his cup in a single gulp.
Wu Decheng drank the tea, then he spat it out. "This tea… is still poisoned?"
Li Banfeng was astonished. "That shouldn't be possible!"
Wu Decheng sneered. "I've spent decades in the jianghu and seen it all. I could taste it, and you still won't admit it?"
Li Banfeng was still stunned. "When I bought the poison, they said it was colorless and tasteless. You shouldn't have been able to detect it!"
Wu Decheng was so angry that he was speechless. "I—"
Li Banfeng tried to comfort him. "Don't be angry. I'll have them bring another cup. Try that one and see if it's poisoned."
Wu Decheng let out an exasperated laugh. "Young man, I like your temperant. But what we agreed on cannot be taken back."
"Don't worry, I won't go back on it," Li Banfeng said, standing up to see him off.
After leaving the Night-Blooming Jasmine's office, Wu Decheng went to Tang Peigong's residence.
"Peigong, I t the owner of the Night-Blooming Jasmine. I exchanged a few moves with him and gave him a beating. I could have killed him, but I was worried people would say I bullied a junior and ruin my reputation. I spared him out of rcy, yet he refused to accept it. He accused of using my strength to bully the weak and insisted on arranging a public duel, a civil one at that."
"When will it begin?" Tang Peigong asked excitedly.
The Pure Conduct Society prided itself on moral integrity and valued open, upright conduct. They rarely resorted to underhanded thods, so they usually resolved conflicts by having public duels.
However, Tang Peigong was not a cultivator, so why was he excited? That was because Wu Decheng had said it was a civil duel, essentially a debate.
Wu Decheng said, "Peigong, you know I'm not good with words. That young man surnad Ye has a silver tongue. I'm afraid I'll lose out on the stage and damage my reputation."
Tang Peigong got out of bed. He had been bedridden for several days and unable to get up, but today, he finally rose to his feet.
"Decheng, what you're saying is out of line. Why would you need to take action for sothing like this? Do you think I, Tang Peigong, would fear him?"
When he said "fear," droplets of spit flew out, riding on a breeze that blew past and landing on Wu Decheng's face.
Wu Decheng forced himself not to gag. He shifted his footing and tried to stand in an upwind position to avoid more of the spit. "Then I'll have to rely on you for this."
"With the bond between us, there's no need to be so polite!"
Wu Decheng smiled and nodded.
It was true; he really was not good with words. He had co to help Tang Peigong resolve the matter, yet in just a few sentences, it had turned into him asking Tang Peigong for help.
He had suffered slights like this countless tis before. Nevertheless, he would no longer have to endure them now.
It was true he had arranged for a public duel with Boss Ye, but it was not a civil one. Tang Peigong was proud and arrogant. There was no way he would lower himself to contact Boss Ye first, so he would not find out the truth until the duel.
This is going to be rather interesting.
***
Tang Peigong selected four of his most eloquent disciples. As a team of five, he was ready to take the stage.
This was a perfect chance for him to turn things around, so Tang Peigong had his disciples contact the newspapers and build up as much anticipation as possible.
Blackstone Slope beca lively once more. Soone was going to challenge the Pure Conduct Society on a public stage!
"Do you know what this Boss Ye does?"
"I heard he runs a newspaper office. That Night-Blooming Jasmine is his."
"A newspaper guy taking on the Pure Conduct Society? He sure is bold!"
"We've got to see this. Those bastards from the Pure Conduct Society beat up an old woman in the street. I doubt they have any real skill!"
"Wait, forget skill for now. Is it a civil match or a martial one?"
"The papers didn't say. But whether it's civil or martial, Night-Blooming Jasmine is in serious trouble…"
The day before the match, Wu Decheng handed Tang Peigong a list.
The people on the list were all notable figures in Blackstone Slope. They were going to serve as witnesses for the duel.
For a civil match, it was extrely important to have witnesses. Martial duels had clear victors, but civil matches often needed witnesses to act as judges to finalise the victor.
Tang Peigong looked through the list. He knew every person on it; they were all very respectful whenever they t him. As long as he delivered a satisfactory performance on the stage, the outco would surely be ruled in his favor.
Tang Peigong was quite satisfied with the list. "Old Wu, you handled this well. I don't need to greet these people individually, do I?"
"No need. Everything has already been taken care of."
"Good. With you handling everything, I can rest assured."
Inwardly, Wu Decheng let out a bitter laugh.
Things sure have changed quickly.Before, he was asking for help to resolve the matter. Now, it has beco that I'm doing things for him. And all I got in return were a couple of words of praise. Just how shaless can this man be?
Fine. We'll see if you can keep this up on the stage tomorrow!
***
The next day, it was ti for the public duel.
Under the banner of the Pure Conduct Society, Tang Peigong stepped onto the stage first with his four disciples.
Li Banfeng was confused about the rules.
Five people at once? Is this a group fight? The stage isn't even that large, so there's barely any room to fight.
Sensing sothing was off, Bai Qiusheng lowered his voice and said to Li Banfeng, "Master Qi, this is a civil match, right?"
Li Banfeng looked utterly bewildered. "What's a civil match?"
"A civil match is a battle of mouths, not fists!"
A battle of mouths?
Li Banfeng had not prepared for that.
As they spoke, Wu Decheng had soone sound the first whistle, signaling both sides to prepare.
Bai Qiusheng asked, "Master Qi, what do we do? Who do we send up??"
Li Banfeng answered, "Stick to the original plan. The people we picked can talk just fine."
On the Night-Blooming Jasmine's side, Zuo Wugang stepped up. He was accompanied by Cao Zhigang, Zhen Jincheng, and two new support hooks that Ma Wu had recruited.
Bai Qiusheng was really anxious. "Master Qi, how are these people cut out for a battle of mouths?"
"They're all cut out for it, especially Zuo Wugang. He's particularly skilled at battles like these."
anwhile, the second whistle sounded on the stage. The second whistle ant the participants were locked in, and there was no backing out.
Bai Qiusheng paced anxiously.
Then, in the blink of an eye, the third whistle sounded. By the rules of Blackstone Slope, that ant the match had officially begun.
Tang Peigong stepped forward first and stood at the center of the stage. He glared at Zuo Wugang and shouted, "Savage brute, twisted gossiper, slanderous troublemaker, shaless disruptor…"
Just look at that eloquence, two words per insult. Neat and precise.
Several witnesses below the stage covered their noses as they praised him quietly.
"That elder speaks well."
"It's just that the sll is too strong."
Zuo Wugang was stunned by the barrage of insults. He turned back to Li Banfeng and asked, "Has the fight started yet?"
Li Banfeng said, "It already has!"
Zuo Wugang turned back to Tang Peigong and found he was still hurling insults. "Malicious viper with a venomous tongue, your intentions are so sinister. Brutal, ferocious fiend, your deeds—"
Wham!
Zuo Wugang drove a punch straight into Tang Peigong's mouth, knocking his front teeth clean out.
Stunned, Tang Peigong stared at Zuo Wugang, then he turned to look at Wu Decheng.
Wu Decheng's expression was blank. He said nothing.
Tang Peigong's disciples were dumbfounded and shouted, "This is a civil match. Why is he hitting people?"
The witnesses froze for a long mont, then they turned to Wu Decheng.
One of them asked, "Elder Wu, is today's match a civil or martial one?"
Wu Decheng wore a complicated expression. He displayed a mix of shock and confusion, as if he had been caught off guard by the turn of events.
Tang Peigong no longer wanted to continue the match. He felt like he could barely stay on his feet.
"You—"
He tried to argue with Zuo Wugang, but Zuo Wugang threw another punch into his face, followed by two kicks to his chest and stomach. The blows sent him flying off the stage.
It was a ruthless beating. Zuo Wugang could have knocked Tang Peigong off the stage with a single punch, but he had been annoyed by the barrage of words, so he added a couple more hits on purpose.
Zuo Wugang spat at Tang Peigong. "You stink so bad, and yet still won't shut up!"
Tang Peigong lay sprawled on the ground. His jaw was shattered, his sternum crushed, and his ribs broken. He could not speak at all.
His four disciples were still trying to reason with Zuo Wugang. "This is a civil match. You can't hit people!"
However, cheers erupted from the crowd below, drowning out their voices.
"Good. You gave him a good beating!"
"Those bastards deserve it!"
"Elder Tang, give a few of your concubines. You won't be needing them anymore!"
anwhile, Cao Zhigang, Zhen Jincheng, and the others pinned down Tang Peigong's disciples and rained down punches, each one aid straight at their mouths.
Li Banfeng said to Bai Qiusheng, "See that? They're all good at battles of mouths."
Bai Qiusheng did not know how to respond.
Li Banfeng cupped his fists and gave a slight bow to Wu Decheng.
Elder Wu… this guy is quite decent. He handed us the first match so easily.
It's a little too obvious, though. At least send a few who can fight. What's the point of bringing such useless people?
Wu Decheng returned the gesture.
Young man, are you satisfied with that? I let you have the first match. The second match will be mine. As for the third match… there will be no third match.
Young man, you're still too inexperienced. Don't bla for being ruthless.
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